Airship.



W. R. KELLEY.

AIRSHIP. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.11,1912. RENEWED IULY 20.1915.

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' flftozuevp Patented Feb. 22, 19113.

W. R. KELLEY.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FlLED ]AN.I1, i912. RENEWED JULY 20. 1915. 1,172,609. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

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W. R. KELLEY.

AIRSHIP.

'APPLICATION FILED IAN. II. 1912. RENEWED IULY 20. I9I5.

l'etented Feb. .22, 191e.

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AIRSHIP.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22,1916.

Application led January 11, 1912, eria1 No. 670,673. Renewed July 20, 1915. Serial No. 41,015..-

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R-KELLEL a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county vof San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships; and I do hereby declare the following ,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

JIhis invention relates to new :and useful improvements in air ships and more particularly to that class which is the combination of a dirigible and tri-plane.

The object of this invention is the provision of a machine of this type which comprises a frame in which provision is made for the supporting of a plurality of inlatable cells which when filled with gas or other similar substance constitutes a dirigible balloon of an elongated type, the same being gradually tapered toward its opposite ends.

A further object of this invention is to improve and simplify devices of this character, rendering them comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use and readily operated.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formations, combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a y longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by similar characters of reference, the nulmeral 10 designates generally 7a frame which comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending rods or other similar members 11 which are connected bytransversely extending ribs 12, the same bein gradually decreased in diameter toward t e opposite ends of the frame. A plurality of inflatable cells 13 are attached to the rods 11 and ribs 12 and vconstitute when filled with gas a dirigible balloon of an elongated type being gradually tapered toward its opposite ends.` The opposite sides of the ribs 12 are connected by vertical and horizontal brace rods 14 which extend between the cells 13 and hold them partially out of engagement when the samev are inflated. Theendcells 13 are reinforced by metallic, caps .15l which prevent the material disposed therein from becoming torn when engaged by a foreign object, the said caps also'srving to holdy the ends of the.

members 11 against displacement. The vertical rods 14 adjacent the intermediate porcured to the intermediate rods 18 by.a plu-- rality` of vertical standards- 18 and by a plurality of guywires 20 as clearly shown in the drawings.l

The lower terminals of the standards 19 are connected by side and end bars 21 which are united at their lower edges by a platform 22 upon which Ais mounted a pair of vengines 23 and 24 from'one of which extends a rear propeller shaft 25 provided with a propeller 26 which operates between the lower supporting lrods 18l while from the other engine extends a propeller shaft 27 equipped with a front propeller 28. A chassis 29 is attached to the rear ends of the lower rods 18 and has journaled therein rear supporting wheels 30 while slidably located upon the lower terminals of the standards 29 are downwardly spring pressed sleeves 31 upon which are journaled the front sup-L porting wheels 32. A plurality of planes '33 `are attached to the rods 18 and are connected to each other and to the cross bar 17 and side bars 25 by a plurality of guy wires 34 while attached tothe rear ends of the rods 18 are a plurality of fixed planes 35 connectedto each other and to the ribs 12 by guy wires 36. The rear ends of the lower rods 18 are united by a cross bar37 in which is journaled a vertical steering rod 38 which has its upper end journaled in a bearing 39 formed upon one of the ribs 12. A rudder 40 is attached to the rod 38 and comprises a pair of spaced parallel plates 41 which are operatively connected to a lever 42 mounted upo'n the platform in such manner that upon the proper movement thereof the rudder will be swung laterally with respect to the frame 10. A rod 43 is journaled adjacent the,v vertical rod 40 and supports the rear elevating plane 44 which is so connected to Van operating lever 45 that `When the same is moved in a roper direction, the front edge of the saidp plane 44 will be raised or lowered thereby liftingthe lower and rear ,end of the frame 10.-- A pair of brackets 4d extend fromthe front standards 19 and have journaled therebetween'the front yelevating plane 47 which is connected to a lever 48 mounted upon the platform 22 in such mann -ner that upon the movement thereof, the

forward'ends to'prodnce a cutting surface which will readily pass through the airelirninating all possilolefriction.

Thedevice is used as follows: VVhenthe engines are started the Propellers 26 and 28 drive 1 the machine over the ground upon their supporting wheels 32 until Vthe elevating planes are 'tilted to such a position as to cause the machine to risev through the air during' which motion it may be lowered by 1,17a,eoe

the proper movement of the elevating planes and steered from right to` the left by the rudder 40.\

From the foregoing disclosures taken in connection with `the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that an air ship is provided for. which will fulfil all of the necessary requirements of such a device.

Having thus fully described this invention what I claim, as new `and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

The combination in an ail-ship., of a frame comprising top, bottom and side rods, the rods converging at each end of the frame, cap members at each end of the frame fixedly secured to the said rods, a plurality of transverse rib bands rigidly connecting the said rods at spaced intervals, a plurality of inflatable cells attached to the rods and bands disposed between each adjacent pair of bands and `constituting; a balloon grad` uaLly tapering towardits opposite ends and means ,for propelling and steering the balloon.

ln testimony Whereof,`l atlixmy signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. KELLEY..

Witnesses:

JOHN H. Solinas, Erma. SINCLAnz.

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